responding to questions

Relatives can be a source of support or sabotage. You can get the backing you need from your family — sometimes.

posted on April 1, 2002 - 1:24pm

Bible stories, fairy tales, legends and myths are full of accounts of families. Many of them are quite horrible. Betrayal, abandonment, deception and outright acts of hostility are common themes. Think of Cain and Abel, or Hansel and Gretel, or King Arthur or that whole big quarrelsome family of Greek gods.
Yet — despite these warnings — when the chips are down, we expect our extended family (...